The Traeger Ironwood 885 is a WiFi-connected wood pellet grill and smoker built around automatic temperature control, remote monitoring, large cooking capacity and Traeger’s Super Smoke system.
Its key features include 885 square inches of cooking space, a 20-pound pellet hopper, WiFIRE app control, a D2 digital controller, integrated pellet monitoring, dual-wall insulation and a 165°F to 500°F cooking range.
The more important question today is whether the original Ironwood 885 is still worth buying now that Traeger sells a redesigned generation of Ironwood grills.
Check current Traeger Ironwood 885 pricing and availability on Amazon.
Traeger Ironwood 885 at a glance
| Feature | Traeger Ironwood 885 |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Wood pellets |
| Total cooking space | 885 sq. in. |
| Cooking tiers | 2 |
| Temperature range | 165°F to 500°F |
| Hopper capacity | 20 lb |
| Smart control | WiFIRE with Traeger app |
| Controller | D2 digital controller |
| Temperature adjustment | 5°F increments |
| Smoke mode | Super Smoke |
| Pellet monitoring | Integrated pellet sensor |
| Included meat probe | 1 |
| Construction | Insulated dual-wall design |
| Weight | 175 lb |
| Maximum temperature | 500°F |
What makes the Ironwood 885 different?
The Ironwood 885 combines the automatic fuel feeding of a pellet grill with connected temperature control.
You load wood pellets into the hopper, choose a cooking temperature and let the grill’s controller regulate the pellet feed and combustion process.
That makes it particularly suited to long cooks where maintaining a stable temperature matters more than manually tending a fire.
WiFIRE adds another layer of automation by allowing you to check and adjust the grill from the Traeger app rather than remaining beside the cooker throughout the session.
WiFIRE app control
WiFIRE is one of the main reasons the Ironwood 885 fits into a connected-home and smart outdoor cooking setup.
Once connected, the Traeger app can be used to monitor the cook and adjust the grill temperature remotely.
For long smoking sessions, this is much more useful than WiFi being added merely as a specification. A brisket or pork shoulder may remain on the grill for hours, so being able to check the grill without repeatedly going outside changes how the cooker is used.
The app also works with the grill’s temperature and pellet-monitoring systems to give you more information about the cook while you are away from the controller.
D2 digital temperature controller
The Ironwood 885 uses Traeger’s D2 digital controller.
Temperature can be adjusted in 5°F increments, which gives the grill a much more appliance-like operating experience than manually controlling airflow in a traditional charcoal smoker.
The controller works with the pellet feed and fan to maintain the selected cooking environment automatically.
This consistency is one of the central strengths of a pellet grill: you spend less time managing the fire and more time monitoring the food itself.
165°F to 500°F temperature range
The Ironwood 885 operates from 165°F to 500°F.
The lower part of that range suits slow smoking, while the upper settings support grilling, roasting and higher-temperature cooking.
Traeger also allows the lower grate to be positioned differently for smoking and higher-temperature cooking.
However, reaching 500°F should not be confused with cooking directly over an exposed charcoal or gas flame.
Is the Ironwood 885 good for searing?
It can sear food, particularly as part of a reverse-sear approach, but direct-fire searing is not the Ironwood’s defining strength.
Like most pellet grills, it cooks primarily with controlled indirect heat.
This is important if your idea of grilling centers on extremely aggressive direct-flame searing. A pellet grill can produce grill marks and good browning, but the experience is different from placing food directly over a very hot charcoal bed or exposed flame.
The Ironwood makes more sense if temperature consistency, smoking and unattended cooking matter at least as much as maximum searing intensity.
Super Smoke mode
Super Smoke increases smoke production during lower-temperature cooking.
Traeger specifies the feature for temperatures from approximately 165°F to 225°F.
That makes it most relevant to foods being cooked low and slow rather than something you would use at the grill’s maximum temperature.
It is a useful feature, but it is worth keeping expectations realistic. Pellet grills generally produce a cleaner, lighter smoke profile than many traditional wood or charcoal smokers.
How smoky does the food taste?
Independent testing is useful here because smoke intensity is difficult to judge from a specification sheet.
The Ironwood 885 has produced good smoked food in professional testing, but the smoke flavor has sometimes been described as relatively light compared with more traditional smoking methods.
That is not necessarily a disadvantage. Some people prefer a cleaner and more controlled smoke profile.
If very heavy smoke flavor is your highest priority, however, that should be considered before choosing any pellet grill solely because it includes a smoke mode.
885 square inches of cooking space
The numbers in the product name matter.
The Ironwood 885 provides 885 square inches of total cooking space across two porcelain-coated steel cooking tiers.
That gives it considerably more room than a small family grill and makes it practical for multiple racks of ribs, several chickens or large cuts cooked at the same time.
Traeger itself positions the capacity around large-group cooking rather than occasional single-steak use.
20-pound pellet hopper
The hopper holds approximately 20 pounds of wood pellets.
A large hopper is valuable during long smoking sessions because you do not want to constantly refill fuel while trying to maintain a stable cooking environment.
Actual pellet consumption depends on temperature, weather conditions and cooking duration, so hopper capacity should not be translated into a fixed number of cooking hours.
Pellet sensor
The integrated pellet sensor makes the hopper more useful as part of the smart system.
Instead of relying entirely on manually checking the pellet level, the sensor can report pellet status through the Traeger app and provide low-pellet alerts.
This is particularly useful during long cooks, where accidentally allowing the hopper to run empty can interrupt the cooking process.
Hopper clean-out
A trapdoor on the hopper allows pellets to be emptied without waiting for the grill to burn through the entire load.
This is useful if you store the grill for a period or want to switch between different pellet woods.
It also makes pellet management less awkward than manually scooping fuel from the hopper.
TurboTemp recovery
Opening the lid releases heat, particularly during cold weather or a long cook.
Traeger’s TurboTemp system is designed to help the grill recover temperature more quickly after the lid has been opened.
That does not eliminate temperature movement, but faster recovery reduces the amount of time the cooker spends significantly below its target after checking or turning food.
Dual-wall insulation
The Ironwood 885 uses insulated dual-wall construction to reduce temperature fluctuation.
This becomes more important as outside temperatures fall because a poorly insulated cooker has to compensate continually for heat escaping through the body.
Insulation does not make outdoor temperature irrelevant, but it can help the controller maintain a more stable internal environment.
TRU Convection and Downdraft Exhaust
Traeger’s TRU Convection system manages the movement of heat and smoke through the cooking chamber.
The Ironwood also uses a Downdraft Exhaust system rather than relying on a conventional chimney arrangement.
The intention is to keep heated air and smoke circulating through the cooking area before they leave the grill.
These systems matter more for even cooking and smoke distribution than simply adding another headline specification.
Included meat probe
The Ironwood 885 includes one wired Traeger meat probe.
The probe allows internal food temperature to be checked without continually opening the lid.
This is especially useful for brisket, pork shoulder and other foods where internal temperature is more informative than cooking time alone.
One probe is enough for a simple cook, but people regularly cooking several large cuts or monitoring multiple zones may eventually want a separate multi-probe thermometer.
Why smart monitoring matters on a smoker
Connected controls make more sense on a smoker than they do on many ordinary appliances.
Long cooks can last for hours, and the important variables are constantly changing: grill temperature, food temperature and remaining fuel.
The Ironwood combines all three areas with digital grill control, a meat probe and pellet-level monitoring.
That is the strongest reason this product belongs within QSL’s smart-home ecosystem rather than being treated simply as another outdoor grill.
What independent testing says
The Ironwood 885 has remained competitive well after its original launch.
Independent testing has praised its large cooking surface, easy controls, app connectivity and consistent results.
Recent comparative testing also found strong results with chicken and steak while noting that pellet-grill smoke flavor can remain relatively light and that the Ironwood is not a low-cost purchase.
That combination describes the product well: the 885 is primarily about repeatability, convenience and control rather than recreating the hands-on experience of a traditional offset smoker.
Ironwood 885 vs the current Traeger Ironwood
The biggest reason to reconsider the 885 today is that Traeger has redesigned the Ironwood platform.
The original Ironwood 885 uses the D2 controller and provides 885 square inches of cooking area.
The newer Ironwood generation adds a full-color touchscreen, updated grease-and-ash collection, newer accessory mounting systems and other design changes.
The standard newer Ironwood is actually smaller in cooking capacity at 616 square inches, while the larger current Ironwood XL provides roughly 924 square inches.
This means the 885 has not become irrelevant simply because a newer generation exists.
If the original 885 is available at a meaningfully lower price than the newer Ironwood models, its large cooking area, mature WiFIRE platform and established feature set can still make it attractive.
If prices are close, the newer generation deserves serious consideration for its revised interface, easier cleaning and newer accessory ecosystem.
Traeger Ironwood 885 vs Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050
The Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 review covers perhaps the most interesting alternative for someone who likes smart temperature control but is undecided about fuel.
The Traeger burns wood pellets and automatically feeds them into its fire system. The Masterbuilt instead uses a gravity-fed charcoal hopper with electronically managed airflow.
The Masterbuilt also provides a larger 1,050-square-inch cooking area and can reach considerably higher temperatures.
The decision is therefore not simply which smart smoker has the better app.
Choose the Traeger if you specifically want the convenience and controlled smoke profile of a pellet grill.
Consider the Masterbuilt if charcoal is important to you and you still want digital temperature automation.
For a broader comparison across connected pellet, gravity-fed charcoal and digital kamado cookers, see our guide to the best smart grills and smokers.
What we like
- Excellent smart-control concept: WiFIRE is genuinely useful during long cooking sessions.
- Large cooking capacity: 885 square inches is enough for substantial group cooking.
- 20-pound hopper: supports long pellet-cooking sessions.
- Pellet monitoring: app alerts reduce the chance of unexpectedly running out of fuel.
- Super Smoke: adds a dedicated lower-temperature smoke setting.
- D2 controller: simple digital temperature adjustment in 5°F increments.
- Dual-wall insulation: helps control temperature fluctuation.
- Proven platform: the 885 remains actively supported even after the newer Ironwood generation arrived.
What to consider before buying
- It is an older Ironwood generation: newer models have a touchscreen, revised cleaning system and newer accessory platform.
- Pellet smoke can be relatively mild: buyers wanting heavy traditional smoke should set expectations accordingly.
- 500°F maximum: high enough for many grilling jobs but not the same as intense direct-flame cooking.
- Only one probe is included: multi-food cooks may benefit from additional temperature monitoring.
- Large and heavy: at around 175 pounds, this is not a portable cooker.
- Price matters: the 885 becomes much more compelling when priced clearly below newer premium alternatives.
Who should buy the Traeger Ironwood 885?
The Ironwood 885 makes the most sense for someone who wants a large pellet grill with strong temperature automation and meaningful remote monitoring.
It is especially well suited to longer smoking sessions where being able to monitor grill temperature, food temperature and pellet supply remotely provides a genuine convenience advantage.
It also remains attractive for buyers who want nearly 900 square inches of cooking area without automatically moving to the newest premium Ironwood platform.
View the Traeger Ironwood 885 on Amazon.
Who should skip it?
Skip the Ironwood 885 if direct-flame searing or very heavy smoke flavor is your highest priority.
You should also compare the redesigned Ironwood generation if easier ash and grease management, the touchscreen interface and the newer Traeger accessory ecosystem are worth paying more for.
Buyers who prefer charcoal flavor should compare a digitally controlled gravity-fed charcoal cooker rather than assuming a pellet grill is automatically the best automated option.
Final verdict
The Traeger Ironwood 885 remains relevant because the technology that made it distinctive still solves a real problem.
WiFIRE remote control, automated pellet feeding, digital temperature management, pellet monitoring and meat-probe integration make long outdoor cooks much easier to manage.
The 885-square-inch cooking area and 20-pound hopper also give it enough capacity to remain useful for larger cooks rather than merely surviving on brand recognition.
The newer Ironwood generation is more modern, particularly in interface, cleaning and accessories, but that does not automatically make the original 885 obsolete.
If the price is right, the Ironwood 885 remains a strong option for someone who wants a proven, connected pellet smoker with a large cooking area and mature smart-control system.
Frequently asked questions
How much cooking space does the Traeger Ironwood 885 have?
It provides 885 square inches of total cooking space across two cooking tiers.
What is the maximum temperature of the Ironwood 885?
Traeger specifies a cooking range from 165°F to 500°F.
How many pellets does the Ironwood 885 hold?
The hopper capacity is approximately 20 pounds.
Does the Traeger Ironwood 885 have WiFi?
Yes. It uses Traeger’s WiFIRE system for connected monitoring and temperature control through the Traeger app.
Can I monitor the pellet level from my phone?
Yes. The grill includes a pellet sensor that can report pellet levels and provide alerts through the connected system.
What is Super Smoke mode?
Super Smoke increases smoke production during low-temperature cooking and is intended primarily for approximately 165°F to 225°F cooking.
Does the Ironwood 885 come with a meat probe?
Yes. One wired Traeger meat probe is included.
Can the Ironwood 885 sear?
It can reach 500°F and supports higher-temperature grilling and reverse searing, but it should not be confused with cooking directly over an exposed flame or charcoal bed.
Is the Ironwood 885 the newest Traeger Ironwood?
No. It belongs to Traeger’s original Ironwood generation. Traeger now also sells a redesigned Ironwood family with a touchscreen interface, revised cleaning system and newer accessory platform.
Is the Traeger Ironwood 885 still worth buying?
Yes, particularly when its price is meaningfully below the redesigned Ironwood models. It still offers 885 square inches of cooking space, WiFIRE, Super Smoke, a pellet sensor and a proven digital-control platform.